Assassin’s Creed Origins – Abilities Guide

In Assassin’s Creed Origins you will have 3 abilities at the start; Eagle Tagging, Overpower and Call Mount. As Ability Points are earned, skills may be purchased at the Abilities screen. In order to acquire an ability, you must own at least one connecting ability.

To acquire all of the abilities, you must spend 85 AP. In addition, each of the master abilities can be purchased multiple times at 1 AP per upgrade. You can earn 62 AP by reaching Level 40 and completing all tombs, War Elephants and hermit locations.

Eagle Tagging

Ability: Given at start

Effect: Tag enemies from the Eagle Hover mode by holding the Aim button and moving the cursor across the foes

Eagle Harass

Ability: Charge Heavy Attack or Bow Bearer

Effect: The Eagle can help the hero by harassing nearby enemies. While in Eagle Hover mode, press the button indicated on your HUD to have Senu stun enemies. Also during combat, Senu will harass enemies from time to time.

Effect: With this ability, the player can equip a second bow in the Gear menu. While in game, press the D-pad left to switch between the two bows.

Arrow Retriever

Ability: Available from start

Effect: Unlocks the possibility to retrieve arrows that have been blocked with your shield.

Headshot XP

Ability: Available from start

Effect: Earn bonus XP upon killing with a headshot.

Assassination XP

Ability: Available from start

Effect: Earn bonus XP upon killing with an assassination.

Assassination loot

Ability: Headshot XP, Stealth Kill Streak, or Tool Kill XP

Effect: Automatically loot an enemy after an assassination.

Stealth Kill Streak

Ability: Assassination Loot or Chain Assassination

Effect: Gain extra XP if you perform a stealth kill immediately after another stealth kill.

Enhanced Light Bow

Ability: Bow Bearer or Elite Ranger

Effect: Increases the number of arrows you can fire before needing to reload.

Enhanced Predator Bow

Ability: Bow Bearer or Elite Ranger

Effect: Allows the player to control the arrow when shooting with any predator bow. Hold the shoot button and use the left analog stick to control the arrow in the air.

Enhanced Hunter Bow

Ability: Bow Bearer or Elite Ranger

Effect: Allows the player to break a shield defense by charging a shot from any hunter bow. Hold the shoot button to perform the attack.

Enhanced Warrior Bow

Ability: Bow Bearer or Elite Ranger

Effect: Reduce the dispersion zone by charging any warrior bow with the shoot button. This concentrates the damage on a single target.

Hunter’s Instinct

Ability: Bow Fury or Assassination XP

Effect: Allows the player to see the paths of enemies. While in hover mode with Senu, mark an enemy to see his current activity and destination. Enables the player to set an ambush along the enemy’s path.

Effect: Using a bow to perform a stealth kill activates slow motion for 3 seconds, giving the player an opportunity to perform another quick stealth kill. This only happens outside of conflict, so once detected, this is not an option.

Chain Assassination

Ability: Stealth Kill Streak, Bow Fury, or Master Hunter

Effect: Allows the player to use his knife to stealthy kill another target after an assassination by pressing the button shown on screen.

Master Hunter

Ability: Elite Ranger, Bow Fury, or Chain Assassination

Effect: Increase bow damage by +1%. This ability can be acquired multiple times. This becomes extremely handy when attempting the toughest challenges in the game, such as War Elephants and Phylakes.

Overpower

Ability: Given at start

Effect: Given at the start of the game, this allows for an Overpower attack once the adrenaline bar is filled. Unleash the special attack by pressing the two buttons shown on the adrenaline meter. Swords, spears, heavy blades, and dual swords trigger an Overpower attack, a high-damage attack on a single enemy.

The sickle sword, scepter, and heavy blunt trigger Fury mode, which gives increased damage and speed for a few seconds.

Charge Heavy Attack

Ability: Regeneration, Eagle Harass, or Bow Bearer

Effect: Allows the player to charge a Heavy Attack by holding down the Heavy Attack button. A fully charged Heavy Attack will shield break tower shields and knock enemies to the ground. Use this move carefully as you are vulnerable to attack, during the charge.

Regeneration

Ability: Available from start

Effect: The player’s health regenerates during a fight.

Air Attack

Ability: Regeneration or Hijack

Effect: Allows the player to perform an Air Attack against an enemy located below the player. When above an aware target, a Leap Attack option appears above the foe’s head. Press the indicated button to attack from this position. Assassinations are still possible when undetected.

Overpower Ultra

Ability: Weapon Bearer

Effect: Doubles the damage done by Overpower attacks.

Parry

Ability: Regeneration

Effect: Allows the player to deflect an incoming attack by tapping the parry button while in Shield mode. Hold Shield Lock to enter Shield mode and then press the Parry button just as an opponent attacks. This staggers the enemy, providing the opportunity to perform a counterattack.

Hijack

Ability: Air Attack or Smoke Screen

Effect: Allows players to hijack guards on vehicles and take control of their mount/vehicle.

Effect: After an Overpower attack, press the Light Attack button to chain with a combo of light attacks.

Overpower Combo

Ability: Weapon Bearer

Effect: Allows the player to chain an Overpower attack with additional attacks. The type of attack added to the Overpower attack varies, depending on the weapon equipped. With dual swords, chain light attacks after the Overpower. With the spear, chain a throw attack after the Overpower. With the sword, chain a stun attack after the Overpower.

Weapon Bearer

Ability: Parry

Effect: Allows the player to equip a second melee weapon. Press D-pad right to switch between the two melee weapons.

Adrenaline 1

Ability: Weapon Bearer

Effect: Always start a conflict with a half-filled adrenaline gauge.

Shield Charge

Ability: Adrenaline 1 or Adrenaline 2

Effect: When in shield mode, hold the parry button to run at your target and bash enemies in your way. This consumes adrenaline and thus requires adrenaline to perform. Use the maneuver to close in on a target, being careful of incoming attacks.

Overpower XP

Req. Ability: Weapon Bearer

Effect: Earn additional XP upon killing with the Overpower attack.

Attack & Push

Ability: Weapon Bearer

Effect: Unlocks the ability to charge the light attack by holding the Light Attack button after a light attack, pushing the enemy away.

Extend Combo

Ability: Adrenaline 1 or Kill Loot

Effect: Allows the player to deal an additional attack against an enemy before entering recovery.

Kill Loot

Ability: Extend Combo or Master Warrior

Effect: Automatically loots an enemy after killing with a melee attack.

Adrenaline 2

Ability: Shield Charge or Master Warrior

Effect: Always start a conflict with a full adrenaline gauge.

Master Warrior

Ability: Overpower Chain Throw or Adrenaline 2

Effect: Increase melee damage by +1%. This ability can be acquired multiple times. Good for those who prefer combat close up.

Call Mount

Ability: Given at start

Effect: Given to Bayek at the start of the game, this ability allows Bayek to call his mount by holding D-Pad down.

Fire bomb

Ability: Dawn & Dusk or Smoke Screen

Effect: Unlocks the ability to use firebombs. Equip the tool at the Gear screen and hold D-pad left to equip it. Hold Aim to aim and Heavy Attack to throw it. Sets enemies and certain flammable objects on fire.

Dawn & Dusk

Ability: Available from start

Effect: With this ability, hold the world map button to sit and make time speed forward. Changes night to day and vice versa. This is useful when nighttime is too dark, a quest requires you meet someone at a certain time of day, or you wish to change NPCs’ positions and actions. Some enemy strongholds and animal dens tend to be less active at night. Assassinations can be performed against sleeping soldiers.

Salesman

Ability: Dawn & Dusk, Tool Kill XP, or Buy Materials

Effect: Allows the player to sell animal goods and trinkets at +25% the price.

Tool Kill XP

Ability: Backstore, Salesman, or Assassination Loot

Effect: Rewards player with XP upon killing with a tool. For fire weapons (firebomb, fire arrow, and torch), XP is only given with a kill that results from the hit, not from the burning effect. Same holds true for the poison dart. XP is awarded for killing with an exploding oil jar and Smoke Screen attack.

Smoke Screen

Ability: Hijack, Pyromaniac, Smoke Screen Damage, or Fire bomb

Effect: Press the interact button after melee attacking or rolling to drop this powder. It stuns nearby enemies and creates a smoke screen. Smoke screens can break line of sight. Use to flee trouble or get the jump on an enemy.

Sleep Darts

Ability: Dawn & Dusk or Flesh Decay

Effect: Unlocks Sleep Darts in the inventory. Equip the tool at the Gear screen and hold D-pad left to equip them. Hold Aim to aim and Heavy Attack to throw it. Enemies or animals at your level or lower will fall asleep when hit with a sleep dart. Great for handling multiple foes, taking one or more out of the action.

Flesh Decay

Ability: Sleep Darts or Berserk

Effect: Unlocks Flesh Decay tool, which is used after a kill by holding the indicated button. Poisoned corpses contaminate nearby NPCs.

Effect: Enemies caught within the radius of a smoke screen now take damage and are knocked to the ground.

Berserk

Ability: Flesh Decay or Poison Darts

Effect: Unlocks the ability to inflict Berserk on an unaware enemy. Approach an enemy undetected and hold the indicated button to turn him berserk instead of assassinating him. This causes the foe to attack his nearest target.

Buy Materials

Req. Ability: Salesman, Backstore, or Breath Holding Champion Unlocks the ability to buy resources at shops. Very useful for completing upgrades on your gear when materials are in short supply.

Effect: (Prerequisite: Sleep Darts) Allows the player to interact with sleeping animals and tame them. When tamed, an animal follows the player around. Predator and defensive animals will assist in fights. Hit an animal with a Sleep Dart, approach it, and hold the indicated button to tame it. The animal can be untamed by holding the same button when next to it.

Poison Darts

Ability: Berserk or Animal Taming

Effect: Unlocks the ability to equip and throw poison darts. Poison deals damage to the inflicted enemy, while also contaminating nearby foes. Equip the tool at the Gear screen and hold D-pad left to equip it. Hold Aim to aim and Heavy Attack to throw it.

Breath Holding Champion

Ability: Buy Materials or Master Seer

Effect: Increases underwater breath, so the player can stay underwater for a longer period of time.

Chariot Owner

Ability: Backstore or Master Seer

Effect: Chariots become available for purchase at shops, allowing the player to travel Ancient Egypt in a chariot. Equip the vehicle at the Gear screen.